Атлант расправил плечи
The Aristocracy of pull
Theyneedednowordsfortheirchart;theclassificationwasdonebyphysicalmeans:arespectfulmovementoftheireyebrows,equivalenttotheemotionoftheword"So!"forthefirstgroup—andasarcasticmovementoftheirlips,equivalenttotheemotionof"Well,well!"forthesecond.Onefaceblewupthesmoothworkingoftheircalculatingmechanismsforamoment:whentheysawthecoldblueeyesandblondhairofHankRearden,theirmusclestoreattheregisterofthesecondgroupintheequivalentof"Oh,boy!"ThesumofthechartwasanestimateofJamesTaggart’spower.Itaddeduptoanimpressivetotal.
TheyknewthatJamesTaggartwasfullyawareofit,whentheysawhimmovingamonghisguests.Hewalkedbriskly,inaMorsecodepatternofshortdashesandbriefstops,withamanneroffaintirritation,asifconsciousofthenumberofpeoplewhomhisdispleasuremightworry.Thehintofasmileonhisfacehadaflavorofgloating—asifheknewthattheactofcomingtohonorhimwasanactthatdisgracedthemenwhohadcome;asifheknewandenjoyedit.
Atailoffigureskepttrailingandshiftingbehindhim,asiftheirfunctionweretogivehimthepleasureofignoringthem.Mr.Mowenflickeredbrieflyamongthetail,andDr.Pritchett,andBalphEubank.
ThemostpersistentonewasPaulLarkin.HekeptdescribingcirclesaroundTaggart,asiftryingtoacquireasuntanbymeansofanoccasionalray,hiswistfulsmilepleadingtobenoticed.
